Semiconductors are a class of materials with a wide variety of practical applications. One such application is a photodiode which converts incident photons into electrical energy. In a photodiode, the incident photon transfers its energy to an electron within the semiconductor material. This transferred energy allows the electron to break free from its nuclear orbit. Once free, the electron can flow through the semiconductor material and be collected by an electrode. However, if the electron encounters defects at the surface of the semiconductor or discontinuities within the semiconductor, the electron may fall back into a nuclear orbit. Once the electron returns to a nuclear orbit, it is no longer able to contribute to the flow of electrical current through the photodiode.
Throughout the drawings, identical reference numbers designate similar, but not necessarily identical, elements.